When you live in a nation like India -- with its vast landmass, varied people and ancient history -- it's quite possible that there are many things you may not know about her.
In this series, we hope to satisfy your curiosity with interesting nuggets of information about India.

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Thursday, July 26, 2012

Indian National Emblem

The emblem of India is
an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath, preserved in the
Sarnath Museum. The Lion Capital was erected in the third century BC by Emperor
Ashoka to mark the spot where the Buddha first proclaimed his gospel of peace
and emancipation. The National emblem is thus symbolic of contemporary India's
reaffirmation of its ancient commitment to world peace and goodwill. The
national emblem of India was adapted by the Government of India on 26th
January1950.

In the original Sarnath
capital(which is currently situated in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh) there are four
Asiatic lions standing back to back - symbolizing power, courage, pride and
confidence - mounted on a circular abacus. The abacus is girded with a frieze
of sculptures in high relief of an elephant (of the east), a horse (of the
south), a bull (of the west), and a lion (of the north), separated by
intervening wheels, over a lotus in full bloom, exemplifying the fountainhead
of life and creative inspiration. Carved out of a single block of polished
sandstone, the capital is crowned by the Wheel of the Law (Dharma Chakra).

In the emblem adopted
by the government in 1950 only three lions are visible, the fourth being hidden
from view. The wheel appears in relief in the centre of the abacus, with a bull
on the right and a galloping horse on the left, and outlines of Dharma Chakras
on the extreme right and left. The bell-shaped lotus beneath the abacus has
been omitted. The word Satyameva Jayate (truth alone triumphs) have been
inscribed in Devanagari script.

The emblem forms a part
of the official letterhead of the Government of India, and appears on all
Indian currency as well. It also sometimes functions as the national emblem of
India in many places and appears prominently on the diplomatic and national
Passport of the Republic of India.

It is a symbol of independent
India's identity and sovereignty.

I don’t claim the information to be my own. The information is compiled from different sources